Wanting to believe in the impossible can be far worse than keeping an open mind. “No man is so foolish but he may sometimes give another good counsel, and no man […]
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We naturally respond disproportionately to events that frighten us, but to do so is playing into the hands of the terrorists.
Is religion the problem? Sometimes. Is religion the solution? Sometimes. The real problem begins when you emphatically respond “yes” to either of these questions.
Most of us are reasonable, thoughtful people. Why can’t we stop texting, emailing, and posting status updates while driving?
A new study shows that mindfulness meditation can reduce our physical and emotional pain. But what is mindfulness and how do we practice it?
There’s a big, big difference between a “scientific” theory and all other types. It should make you more confident, not less. One of the most important things any expert hoping to […]
The big story that probably most shapes our times is too simple. We can’t afford to go on ignoring its plot holes and more complex dark side.
A new French agreement hopes to curb the global waste food by encouraging supermarkets to act generously.
It’s a brave new world.
Three passages that will pay dividends when parsed carefully by a patient reader.
Why are we ready to hold big corporations legally liable for lying, but not all the other advocates whose manipulation of the truth does society real harm!?
Mars used to be a warm, wet world, filled with oceans, rivers, and maybe even life. Here’s what happened. “Studying whether there’s life on Mars or studying how the universe […]
If all goes well it could become the biggest chain in America to switch to a no-tipping policy.
The pop-a-pill solution is a non-solution. But what is the alternative?
Do you want the government knowing how often you watch porn?
There are likely no more than five this big, this early in the entire Universe. “Based on our understanding of how galaxy clusters grow from the very beginning of our […]
Turn on, tune in, drop out, but read on about how Hippies and Hippie Modernism might rise again.
Women are being told that competing with one another isn’t very lady-like. Nature begs to differ.
An engineering professor at Oakland University has a surprising answer.
Looks like the inner planets formed *after* the gas giants moved to their current position, and Jupiter ejected a fifth giant, too! “The stars look the same from night to […]
The history of Guy Fawkes and the use of his likeness.
Why does much of the world stubbornly resist data and email encryption? Why don’t we enable it on all our devices all the time?
Questioning the power of individual choice.
Sometimes, space itself comes with its own magnifying lens. “We see the world through the lens of all our experiences; that is a fundamental part of the human condition.” –Madeleine […]
Planets, Stars, Galaxies, Groups and Clusters are all real. But Superclusters? They’re nothing more than optical illusions. “It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality.” –Virginia Woolf […]
When a trophy just for showing up does more damage than good.
The mental mechanics of how emotions and logic relate aren’t widely understood. Our minds are built to mostly be “indirectly rational.”
Reading is dangerous, but there’s no harm in preparing students for the challenge.